Aftermath
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Eric helps Sookie deal with the loss of Bill. Spoilers for the season 5 finale.


**I'm taking a little break from _Second Chance_ to post this oneshot. I was all ready to give up on _True Blood_, until the finale just had to go and suck me right back in. It was pretty awesome compared to the rest of the season. This little idea popped in my head, I desperately want these two to have a real conversation. Bill is completely gone in this, nothing came back after we finally witnessed his death. Thanks again to dusty273 for the read through, I hope you guys like it=)**

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"Sookie, we have to go."

She broke out of her daze at Eric's concerned voice, finally turning away from the pool of blood that used to be her ex-boyfriend. Before she could respond, Eric took her in his arms and flew them out of the building. Sookie was still too stunned at the time to think much about it, until they were safely on the ground where the others were waiting.

"What happened?" Pam wondered.

"Bill is gone," Eric answered. "You should head back to Fangtasia, it will be day soon."

"What about you?" Nora asked, noticing that his hand was clutching the blonde fairy tightly.

"I have to get Sookie home. I built a cubby in the house; it will do for me tonight."

Jason moved over to his sister, waving his hand in front of her face. "What the fuck happened in there, Sook? You look like you've seen a ghost. What did you do, fanger?"

Eric growled, but now was not the time to get into a petty argument with the human. "Bill was destroyed, that's all you need to know." He took Sookie back in his arms and shot through the night sky, not letting anyone else stop him from making sure she was safe. They would find their own way home.

He lowered her to the ground once they reached her house, using the spare key under the mat to let them both inside. He was starting to feel worried, and that wasn't something that happened often. Sookie had yet to say a word, even if she yelled and screamed at him, it would be better than silence. Eric sat her down on the couch, pulling an afghan around her shivering form, even if he didn't think it had to do with her being cold. He kneeled down in front of her and tilted her chin up, so she was staring at him. It was as if she was looking right through him. "Sookie, please talk to me," he practically pleaded. Eric wasn't sure if she even heard him, until she gazed right into his eyes, which were once again glistening with tears.

"You said I would be enough. You said that if anyone could get through to him, it would be me. I wasn't enough. It was all a lie. He never loved me. I wasn't enough to save him."

Eric wrapped his arms around her as she started to sob again, touching his lips to the top of her head. "It may not mean anything to you now, but you would have been enough for me."

If anything, those words only made her cry harder. "Don't say that," she told him, wiping her eyes when she pulled away. "I don't deserve for you to say that. I was horrible to you, and for what? For someone who never even loved me, I've been blinded for so long. It would be too easy to blame Bill's behavior on the blood, but everything I've known of him was nothing but a lie. He never cared about me. If he did, he wouldn't have let himself be influenced like that. You drank the same blood, didn't you?"

Eric nodded. "I did, and it turned me into someone I hated. I had Godric to bring me back."

"Because you loved Godric, you would have done anything for him. That's what makes you two so different. Bill never loved anyone."

"No," Eric told her, not believing for a second that he was about to stand up for Bill Compton. But for one brief moment, they were considered to be allies. "He did love you as much as any vampire could, I've always known that. It may have started out as a job, but he did come to care for you on his own. It just wasn't the kind of love you were meant for."

"Do you think I'm an abomination?"

He smiled, kissing her lips sweetly. "You are an extraordinary woman; there is nothing at all wrong about you. In a thousand years of existence, no one has been able to impress me quite like you have."

"I'm so sorry, Eric," she whispered, more tears stinging her eyes. "I never meant to hurt you. All this time I tried to convince myself that you were a monster, but you've done everything you could to try and help me. Even when I didn't give you anything in return, you should hate me."

Eric shrugged. "What can I say? I was never one for doing what I should."

That got a tiny smile out of her. "You need to rest, the sun's almost up."

"Will you join me?"

Sookie only nodded, letting him take her hand as he led her down to the cubby. It reminded her of when he had amnesia, and she finally realized that not much about him had changed since then. He was still the same Eric.

"First thing tonight, I will sign the house back over to you."

It was what Sookie had wanted since she found out he bought her house, but now the idea didn't seem so appealing. "You don't have to do that. I'm kind of getting used to you being here."

"Oh, I don't plan on leaving. It would just be safer to give ownership back to you, so you can prevent unwanted vampires from coming in whenever they please. I know I will likely piss you off at some point, this way you can always rescind my invitation if needed."

She gave that some consideration. As much as Sookie didn't think she'd ever rescind his invitation again, it did make a lot of sense. "Okay, thank you. I do have a bone to pick with you, though, about what you said to Alcide when you glamored him. That wasn't funny."

Eric cracked a smile. "I thought it was hysterical. You can do better than him. I loathe men who take advantage of drunk women."

She rolled her eyes. "Right, because I'm sure you've never done that. Besides, I was completely in control. I knew exactly what I was doing."

"Is that why you puked all over him? By the way, best thing I've witnessed in a long time. It stopped me from ripping his arms off; you may have just saved the wolf's life."

Sookie laughed, nudging his shoulder after they both got situated on the bed. "Honestly, I'm very relieved you guys showed up when you did. I think our friendship would have been ruined if I took things too far with Alcide, I just don't feel for him in the same way he feels for me. But I'm sure that ship has sailed now, nothing is quite a mood killer like barfing on the guy you're about to sleep with."

"It wouldn't scare me away," Eric claimed.

"Not much scares you, does it?"

He pulled her closer, feeling his eyes get heavy as the sun began to rise outside. "You would be surprised."

Sookie shook her head, kissing both of his closed eyelids as sleep started to claim her as well. "No, I really wouldn't."

**The End**


End file.
